Thanks so much for the reviews and encouragement so far! If any of you have read my first Merlin/Morgana story "There is Another Way", I have some exciting news! I made a fanvideo for the story and it's up on youtube! If you'd like to watch it, look up SaraBethie on youtube (the title is "There is Another Way")

Hope you enjoy! :)

"Morgana? Morgana! Are you in there?" Merlin whispered as low as he could. He was met with silence, yet he knew she was inside. Determined, he knocked on the door and waited for a response. Still, nothing.

"Morgana, please open the door," he pleaded. "I want to help."

Silence was his only answer.

He scratched his head, at a loss as to what he should do. He knew something was wrong. He could feel it. Morgana and he were linked in an unexplainable way, and he had definitely felt her anguish earlier.

After waiting for what felt like hours, Merlin finally left, feeling unsettled. All around him, the winds howled louder.

Morgana stiffened when she heard his voice. In a way, she had known he would come. Hadn't she wanted him there? But she couldn't bring herself to open the door. If she let Merlin in, she would break down and tell him everything. With the Druid's warning still ringing in her ears, how could she let him get involved?

Covering her ears once more, Morgana blocked him out, her heart heavy as she did so.

"Merlin!"

Merlin's eyes flew open. Groaning, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pushed himself out of bed. He stumbled down the stairs to find Gaius and Rowan staring at him.

"What?" he asked abruptly.

"We're to gather in the council room for a hearing. Uther's orders."

"A hearing…now?"

"Yes, Merlin. Hurry up and get dressed," Gaius urged.

Trudging back up the stairs, Merlin quickly changed. "Whose hearing?" he called out as he pulled his trousers on.

"I don't know. This is the first I've heard of it. Hurry up, Merlin!"

"Yes, yes…coming," Merlin mumbled.

Merlin glanced around him once they had arrived. Uther sat on his throne, looking unusually stern. He wished Arthur would return. He had an odd feeling that he was needed more than ever right now.

Merlin's gaze snapped to the door, which had started to open. He could hardly believe his eyes. Was that…Gwen being led by one of the knights toward Uther? No, it couldn't be. And yet there she was, kneeling before the King. Morgana followed, her face pinched in a scowl. When her eyes fell on him, a look of panic briefly showed in her eyes, but she quickly turned back to the scene in front of her.

Merlin watched as Uther pulled a book out. No. He knew that book. How many nights had he spent pouring over its pages? What was Uther doing with it?

"This book of enchantments was found hidden in the Lady Morgana's chambers," Uther began.

Merlin cringed, his eyes closing in horror. He could feel Gaius's sharp eyes boring into him, searching for an explanation.

"However, she has denied knowing anything of the book, and it is to my belief that someone who has close contact with my ward planted it with the intent of keeping it hidden. Guinevere, you are the Lady Morgana's handmaid, so naturally you are the first person to be questioned."

The situation couldn't possibly be any worse, and Merlin felt completely responsible. He had given that book to Morgana, and in doing so had risked her life…and now Gwen's. He listened apprehensively as Uther continued with his interrogation. Gwen held up remarkably well, despite the unfair questions being thrown her way. A couple of times Morgana interrupted as she protested a few of Uther's remarks. More than once, Uther cast her a warning glance. Merlin hoped she would keep silent. But just how did she convince Uther the book wasn't hers? Surely Uther would have suspected her?

"…you've been accused once before."

Merlin blinked. What had he missed?

"Gwen was proven innocent," Morgana snapped.

"Yes, but we never found any absolute proof suggesting she was not a sorceress, if I remember correctly."

"That's utter nonsense!" Morgana's usually creamy white complexion was beginning to turn a deep shade of crimson. Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"My Lord, I can assure you that I have never touched magic," Gwen stated clearly.

"Yes, but do you have proof?"

Gwen paused, realizing he was setting a trap for her. "N-no. I do not. Just my word."

"I'm afraid in this case your word is not enough. Clearly, the only logical explanation is that you planted that book because you wanted it hidden."

"No!"

"Then how else did it get there?"

"I don't know…my lady's room is not always locked…it could have been anyone…"

"Which is all conjecture on your part."

Morgana stepped in front of Gwen. "You can't speak to her like that—"

"I will speak to her as I see fit!" Uther said angrily. In a lower voice he added, "And you will remain silent for the rest of the hearing or I will have you removed. Is that understood?"

Morgana pursed her lips and stepped back, her fists clenched to her sides.

"I will have servants questioned who may have had access to the Lady Morgana's chambers within the past few months. Within a day, if I do not find the evidence which I am looking for, a trial will be held that will determine once and for all if you truly are guilty, which I believe you are. You are to be regarded as a criminal until then."

Gwen covered her face in her hands as the guards began dragging her away to the dungeons.

"No!" Morgana cried out. She turned to Uther, her face unevenly blotchy now. "I will not let you send her to her death. I will not." She stormed off after Gwen, no doubt wanting to console her.

The room had dissolved into murmured whispers. Merlin dreaded the confrontation that was surely coming with Gaius, whose eyes were boring into his head right about now. Rowan was harder to read. No emotion seemed to flicker across his features. Was this what he had dreamt of? If it was, he hid it very well.

"Merlin, I hope you have a very good explanation for this," Gaius said to him as soon as they had the nearest opportunity to be alone.

"I wish I did."

"What was that book doing in Morgana's room, may I ask?"

"I…gave it to her," Merlin reluctantly stated.

"You what? Merlin!"

"Fine, it's about time you knew anyway. I've been helping Morgana control her magic."

"I sincerely hope for your sake that that's not true."

"Well, it is. And it's too late now anyway."

"Does Morgana know you have powers?"

Merlin looked down, afraid to meet the older man's gaze.

"Merlin…"

"Yes. Yes, she does."

"Are you out of your mind? I told you that your secret was meant to be guarded with your life, but you had to go off and tell the King's Ward!"

"It wasn't like that, alright? She was lonely and confused and she needed help. She might have turned to Morgause to guide her, and we know what kind of teacher Morgause would have been."

"That wasn't your decision to make. Now look at the mess we're all in. Gwen might lose her life because of your foolishness."

"No….we'll find a way…."

"Well, you had better find a way soon, because Uther's as good as condemned her."

"No," Merlin repeated, in a daze.

"You should never have tried to help Morgana, Merlin."

"I was just trying to help her so she wouldn't feel alone!"

"And what were you thinking, giving her that book?"

"I don't know…I don't know. I…thought she could learn from it. And she did! She was making improvements."

"She's the King's Ward, Merlin. Or have you forgotten that? When you gave her that book, you risked not only your own life but hers as well. But it would appear that both of you are getting off the hook, and Gwen's life will be sacrificed instead."

"I will find a way to save her. I promise!" Merlin said passionately as he left in search of Morgana. His head was racing. Arthur. If he knew Gwen's life was in danger he would be back in Camelot in a second. But of course, Arthur was not here, right at the moment when he was needed the most.

Tentatively, he glanced all around him before approaching Morgana's chambers. Would she even be there? He knocked lightly, but received no response. Of course, she was probably still with Gwen in the dungeons, trying to console her. He should be there too, but his guilty conscience wouldn't let him. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if harm came to either Gwen or Morgana.

Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. In fact, it was crystal clear to him. The question was, could he do it? Once before he had been brave—or foolish—enough to admit his guilt to save a life. But had he done everything he was supposed to do? He knew he hadn't fulfilled his destiny yet. On the contrary, he seemed far from it. But he couldn't stand by and let others suffer for his wrongdoings.

Yes, he had to do it. And better now than later, before he changed his mind. He wished he could have seen Morgana one last time, but maybe it was better this way. It would have been even more difficult, of that he was sure.

More determined than ever, Merlin set off to find Uther.